Ricky Schroder
April 13, 1970 — Staten Island, New York
Richard Bartlett Schroder is an American actor who became one of the most famous child stars in America after his heartbreaking performance in the 1979 film The Champ, went on to headline the hit NBC sitcom Silver Spoons through the 1980s, and later reinvented himself as a serious adult actor in shows including NYPD Blue and Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.
Child Star Debut
Born on April 13, 1970 in Staten Island, New York, Schroder began modeling as a toddler and was cast at age 9 in The Champ (1979), a remake of the 1931 boxing drama starring Jon Voight. His performance in the film's final scene — weeping over his dying father — became one of cinema's most recognized pieces of child acting and was studied for decades afterward by psychologists evaluating authentic emotional expression. The performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Silver Spoons and Television Success
From 1982 to 1987, Schroder starred in the NBC sitcom Silver Spoons alongside Joel Higgins, playing Ricky Stratton, a child who discovers his eccentric millionaire father. The show was immensely popular throughout its run and made him one of the defining faces of 1980s American television. He was a fixture of teen magazines, lunchboxes, and Saturday morning television — the kind of celebrity that now belongs to a pre-internet world where fame was simpler and more total.
Did You Know?
Schroder was the first person ever to win a Golden Globe Award in the category of New Male Star of the Year in a Motion Picture, a category created specifically after his The Champ performance generated enormous buzz. The category was discontinued several years later, making his the only win of that exact award in Golden Globe history.
Adult Career
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Schroder successfully transitioned away from his child-star image, taking on more serious fare including a television adaptation of Lonesome Dove and joining the cast of NYPD Blue in 1999 as Detective Danny Sorenson, a role he played for three seasons. He has since directed several films, including the military drama Black Cloud. He legally changed his stage name to Rick Schroder as an adult, though he remains widely known by his childhood billing.